First Hesitant Step!
by Tambear
Summary: The boys, Arthur and Merlin, venture out into the garden for the first time. Just a bit of silliness really, we got two kittens for Christmas and I observed this one morning - all true!


**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters – wish I did! They belong to the BBC. No profit made.**

"Merlin!" Arthur jumped up onto the shelf, "Merlin, get up!"

"G'way," Merlin yawned, stretching out and purring contently.

"Merlin," Arthur whined, "she's gone out and the glass is open!"

"So?" He blinked up at the black and white fur ball he had the misfortune to have been picked up and put in a cardboard box with, before arriving in their new home. Now he was stuck with the over curious, annoying and stupidly courageous kitten.

"So? What do you mean so?" Arthur sat back and got that indignant look he was so found of, on his face.

"It's nice and cosy in here, I don't know why you want to go out there – it's awfully strange." Merlin sat up, his nice after breakfast nap disturbed now.

"Fine," Arthur huffed, "I'll just go by myself!" He jumped down off the shelf with the hats; that they had made into a rather comfortable bed.

"I'm not coming out to recue you when you get yourself into trouble," Merlin warned.

"As if I'd need recuing by an idiot like you," Arthur said condescendingly before he strutted across the floor.

Arthur paused and peered curiously outside, not stepping across the door frame just yet.

The woman that fed them and cleaned out their litter tray was standing a few feet away holding a brush and smiling down at him.

"Right," he said, "I can do this." Arthur cautiously put one paw out the door; nothing bad happened so out went the other paw. He pawed at the ground for a few seconds before walking out a few steps. A gust of wind scattered a few of the brown leafy things on the ground, blowing them towards Arthur and he scampered back in.

He could hear Merlin's giggles behind him but refused to acknowledge the other kitten.

"Nothing to be scared of," he told himself and went to the door once again. Arthur jumped out the door and bounced a few steps further out. He glanced around, suddenly very excited, his fear dissolving. He could feel the sun's warmth on his fur, the slight wind making his fur ruffle and there were so many new smells.

Lots and lots to explore.

The woman was making a lot of noise over by the big green and black containers and Arthur decided to go and investigate.

"Arthur," Merlin hissed from just inside the door, peering at Arthur with his big blue eyes.

"Stop being such a scaredy cat, Merlin," he huffed as he bounced over to the woman.

It looked very dark and wet around the bins and he decided they weren't worth his time investigating.

Arthur sauntered back, giving a smug grin to Merlin who was still crouched inside the door, peering out uncertainly.

There was a little wall, about twice the height of Arthur in front of him and he jumped up onto it.

It was then that he saw it, whatever it was. It was green and looked oddly soft, but it went on for miles and miles. Really it was only a few yards, but to little Arthur it looked endless.

"Merlin," He whispered in awe, his eyes huge in his head as he took in the vision in front of him.

"What?" Merlin squeaked from the door.

"You have to come and see..."

There was a loud bang from somewhere behind Arthur, he froze for a second and then jumped off the wall. His paws skidding on the cold ground in his panic, he raced as fast as he could towards the door. His journey was cut short as he bounded into the wrong side of the glass doors and banged his head, sending him sprawling back. Arthur jumped back up, leaped over Merlin and dove for cover behind a wooden crate.

Merlin, Arthur noticed as he peered around the side of the crate, was lying on his back, paws in the air laughing so hard there were tears seeping out of his eyes. The stupid idiot.

"You should have seen your face," Merlin gasped as he got his breath back.

Arthur scowled and pushed him over as he walked back outside. He looked around cautiously, not seeing any danger he went back to the wall, but instead of jumping up onto it – he walked to the end and peeked around the corner.

There it was, right in front of him. The wind blew a rather long piece over into his face and it tickled his nose. He tried to catch it but it was slippery and wet.

"What is it?" A voice whispered from beside him, causing Arthur to jump and hit his head on the wall.

"Merlin," he spat, then he smiled, "you came out!"

"Well someone has to protect you, you have a really annoying habit of getting us into trouble," Merlin said, knocking into Arthur's side.

"I keep getting us into trouble?" Arthur asked incredulously, "I'm not the one who keeps getting us kicked out from the room with the fire because of I can't control my bladder!"

Merlin spluttered, "Well, I'm not the one that kept trying to climb into the fire. 'It's warm Merlin', 'it's nice Merlin', 'it's not going to hurt me Merlin'. Who's the one that had to lick your paw better?"

"Merlin," Arthur said seriously, "shut up."

"Of course, _Your Highness,"_ Merlin rolled his eyes and sat back.

Arthur stared at the green stuff for a little while longer; listening to Merlin's sigh's getting more dramatic as each minute passed.

Slowly Arthur reached out with a paw and put it down on the green stuff. It was soft and spongy, he patted it for a few minutes and saw Merlin's nose sniffing closer out of the corned of his eye. He grinned triumphantly.

Suddenly there was an odd buzzing noise getting louder.

"It's just grass, little ones," a deep, cheery voice said from somewhere above them. In their panic, the both hunkered down and craned their necks around to see.

"Ahhhhh," Merlin shrieked, scrambling away from the buzzing creature as fast as he could.

Arthur froze; eyes wide and mouth open as he gazed at the yellow and black _thing _floating above them.

"Arthur," Merlin screamed from the doorway.

Arthur's eyes darted between the Merlin and the creature above him, who was smiling down at him.

Merlin looked terrified, standing there shaking, eyes pleading Arthur to move.

Out of the corned of his eye he saw a great big, black thing flying low before landing on the grass.

"Best get inside," the buzzing creature said, before flying up and away.

Arthur turned and looked at the black thing eating bread on the grass. It looked up and caught Arthur's eyes. There was nothing friendly in the black piercing gaze.

Arthur sprang into action and raced towards the door. Once again, running head first into the wrong side.

"Ouch," he grumbled as he hobbled in past Merlin and sat down.

"Right," Merlin said standing in front of Arthur, a fierce determined look on his face.

Merlin nudged Arthur with his head, and didn't stop until he'd pushed Arthur all the way over to the shelf with the hats.

"But I don't want to go to bed," Arthur whined as Merlin jumped up onto the shelf. Arthur cowered under the look Merlin gave him and jumped up beside him.

"Now," Merlin said as he snuggled down into the warmth of the woolly hats and pulled Arthur in beside him, wrapping his arm around Arthur. "That's quite enough adventures for today."

"Maybe we can go out onto the grass tomorrow," Arthur yawned, Merlin just hummed in response.

Arthur purred contently snuggling down into Merlin embrace.


End file.
